Randy Pitchford – Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t just milking a franchise
Jamie Donnelly May 21, 2012 - 2:55 pmNews: According to Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford, a lot of licensed games become “work-for-hire projects” that end up “just milking a franchise”, but that won’t be happening with Aliens: Colonial Marines.
Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford knows that Duke Nukem Forever was a flop. He must do. Only the most willfully ignorant of men could deny that fact. In his defense, though, the problems with the game didn’t exactly rest at the studio’s feet, given that they simply saved the FPS from its development hell. Nevertheless, I’m sure the experience taught Pitchford a valuable lesson about how to deal with established franchises with fervent followings, and they don’t come much more fervent or established than Aliens.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be Gearbox’s take on Ridley Scott‘s movie franchise, but it looks like they’ve been given pretty free reign on where to take it within that universe. According to Pitchford, they’re being respectful to their source material, but they’re not afraid to mix things up when they need to either.
“You have to be, um, careful and respect the authenticity of the universe, and in many regards what’s been created gives us a lot to work with, but we’ve also been able to have fun adding to it,” he said in an interview with GameSpot. “And i think the biggest advantage that this game gets because it’s Gearbox Software building it, is we’re not settling.
“You know, like a lot of games based on licenses, they become kind of work-for-hire projects, just milking a franchise. But Gearbox works in other people’s spaces, because we love that space, and want to.”
He also highlighted how the game would be staying true to the original film’s thriller routes, offering action and tension in equal abundance – basically, it sounds like they’re making an Aliens-licensed version of Dead Space. He said: “When you think about the videogame manifestation of the Alien franchise, of course you imagine big action scenes and aliens. But you also think about the suspense, the tension, and just the thrilling moments that you get.”
You can find all the latest Aliens: Colonial Marines news right here at BeefJack.
